Time circuit-controlling apparatus.



PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

H. O. LITTLE.

TIME CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1 N0 MODEL.

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Wm 69; W

No. 766,507. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. H, G. LITTLE.

TIME CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED we. 26, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

217 fii'zji- L/ZZ JZVZZJWY- M Ha L z'ZZZ'e Patented August 2, 1904.

iPATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. LITTLE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIME CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,507, dated August 2, 1904.

" Application filed August 26,1903. Seria1No.l70,889. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY O. LITTLE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Circuit- Oontrolling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a switching device for controlling a series of electric circuits, such as the circuits of a flash-sign; and its object is to provide improved mechanism'whereby a relatively slow-moving motor, such as a clock-train, may be employed for driving and the circuits may be made and broken with maximum rapidity, so that arcing at the contacts will be reduced and the transition from one phase to the next executed in the shortest time.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation, partly. broken away, showing a circuit-controlling apparatus constructed according to my invention. one of the switch-arms being omitted. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 represents a front elevation of the switchpoints.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, 11 are respectively a timing and a propelling clock-train actuating, respectively, an arbor 12, carrying a series of rigid helically-arranged projections or fingers 13. and an arbor 14, carrying a coop erating series of projections or fingers 15, spaced at intervals the same as the fingers 13, the pitches of the two helices being in the same direction. The arbors are rotated in the same direction, and the fingers on the two arbors at their locality of contact therefore move in opposite directions. The clocktrains 10 and 11 are not shown in full detail; but the timing-train 10 is supposed to be equipped with the usual or any suitable escapement or with a suitable retarding device, such as used in the alarm-trains of clocks.

On the arbor 14 I have shown two conductive arms l8 l9 insulated from each other and the actuating mechanism and serving to connect across in pairs a series of fixed knifeswitch members connected in the illuminatingcircuits of the flash-sign or other circuits controlled by the apparatus. The fixed and rotating contacts here shown are representative of the circuit or circuits thus controlled. It will be observed that these arms serve to make and break two circuits simultaneously, the rotation of the arms being always in the same direction. The number of arms is immaterial to the invention.

In the operation of the device the arbor 12 is rotated at a constant uniform speed under the control of its escapement or other governor, and the arbor 1 1 is rotated in the same direction and tends to rotate at a faster speed when released than the arbor 12. The fingers are arrested in succession by the rigid fingers 13 as the two series of fingers rotate, the arrangement being such that as one finger 15 escapes from its cooperating finger 13 the next finger 15 jumps to its cooperating finger 13. The arms 18 19 are so related to the fixed contacts 20 as to be in contact therewith when the respective fingers 15 are in contact with the corresponding fingers 13, so that when the fingers 15 jump the arms 18 19 quickly break contact with the contacts 20, with which they are then engaged, and make contact with the succeeding pairs. The transition between the contacts takes place practically instantaneously, so arcing is reduced and the time between the phases of illumination or actuation of the circuits shortened to a minimum.

I claim 1. In a switch-controlling apparatus, a series of helically-arranged escape members, a cooperating series of escape members, means for relatively rotating the two series and for accelerating the rotating members during escape periods, and one or more circuits controlled by said escape members.

2. In a switch-controlling apparatus, two series of helically-arranged cooperating escape members, means for rotating said two series and for accelerating one of said series during escape periods, and one or more circuits controlled by said escape members.

3. In a switch controlling apparatus, a switch-actuating member, two series of cooperating helically-arranged trip-fingers controlling said member, and means for rotating each series.

4. In a switch controlling apparatus, a switch-actuating member, a series of helicallyarranged fingers, means for rotating said series at a predetermined speed. a second series of helically-arranged cooperating fingers controlling said member, and means for yieldingly rotating the last said series.

5. In a switch-controlling apparatus, two

clock-trains, two series of cooperating helically-arranged fingers rotated by the respective trains, and a switch-operating member controlled by one of said series. I

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

HENRY C. LITTLE. Witnesses:

.C. F. BROWN, E. BATCHELDER. 

